He won hearts as the hapless Frank Spencer in the Seventies sitcom Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em and achieved living-legend status as the original Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera in the Eighties. Now, at 84, Michael Crawford is pondering a return to performing after a period out of the spotlight.
"I had lunch with Andrew Lloyd Webber the other day; we're still great mates," he says of the legendary English composer, who cast him in the principal role in Phantom in 1986. "He's hinting that he wants me to do something… it may materialise, but I won't know for another few months. I've got to keep practising like crazy for it to be acceptable.
“I go to [singing] class – I've done three classes this week with my musical director, Nigel Lilley,” he reveals in this exclusive interview with Best Quality Designer Handbag . "I would love to do a one-man thing, looking back, so that I involve the audience and they think of their early life."
© Getty ImagesBefore the Covid-19 pandemic, Michael had been planning a musical with the late West End producer Bill Kenwright. "He has sadly passed and that fell apart," he says.
Happy family
The star has lived in New Zealand since 2007 with his wife, Natasha MacAller, 68, a chef and former ballerina. Life with Natasha is "wonderful”, he says, adding that “she's so good for me”.
The couple moved to New Zealand to help Michael recover from chronic fatigue syndrome (ME), which he developed while performing in the musical The Woman in White in 2004.
"It was my fault – I wore this vast costume, and I lost so much water during every show that in the end, my immune system broke down and I got ME," he says. "I ended up going to New Zealand and I was better within a year."
Now, the UK beckons again. "I'm coming back here now because the journey's too much; over 20-odd hours,” he says. “But whenever it's warm, I go out there."
Along with a return to music, Michael is in talks with a production company to create a documentary about his life. "They've done Christopher Reeve, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen," he tells us. "I'm handing [over] all my home videos, anything that may be of interest. Hopefully it'll work out well, but it'll take a bit of time, I think."
Michael's career has spanned everything from Hollywood movies to modern musicals. "I played quite a few Americans early on," he says. "I did The War Lover with Steve McQueen [in 1962]; I got the part because my American [accent] was acceptable.
“He kept saying to me: 'Watch that limey accent, kid.' In those days it was always 'kid' – it was never Michael or Mike.”
Hollywood's finest
Another star who gave Michael the same nickname was the renowned performer Gene Kelly. "He directed me in Hello, Dolly!, the film with Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau,” says Michael of the 1969 Academy Award-winning musical comedy.
"He was brilliant. He was fun, professional, very strict. I loved it. He taught me discipline. He believed in me. I only learned about three years ago that [the movie executives] originally wanted to dub my voice because they didn't like the way I was singing, but Gene said: 'I want that voice.’"
© Getty ImagesIn 1971, Michael was cast in Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, which premiered two years later. A daredevil child and a fan of the "physical fun" of the silent-film era, he was born to play the accident-prone Frank Spencer, and did his own stunts.
"I used to get into terrible trouble climbing on roofs and going along walls,” says the star of his childhood. "Hanging on to the back of a bus, going along on roller skates… I said: 'I've done this before, but I wasn't paid for it.’"
The actor is still good friends with his co-star Michele Dotrice, who played Frank’s wife, Betty. "I spoke to her yesterday," he says. "Michele was wonderful to work with; we became like brother and sister for the rest of our lives."
The role of the Phantom came in 1986, winning Michael both a Tony and an Olivier Award. "The Phantom was a man who'd never been loved, never been held as a child, so he had all this inside him," he says.
"You go deep into yourself to find someone – a character who will be innocent, naive, but believable and hopefully likable – and make him absolutely real.
“Andrew Lloyd Webber allowed me to sing in that character. I wanted the audience to feel the soul of this man."
His co-star Sarah Brightman, with her delicate soprano voice, was exactly right for the part of Christine Daaé, Michael says. "We got on beautifully as we worked alone. The others, I just shouted at and screamed and killed," he laughs. "We haven't stayed in touch, but our paths cross every now and again. Nothing will change those early days."
After seeing one of the famous white Phantom masks that he wore to play the role valued at £20,000 on Antiques Roadshow, Michael now keeps his remaining ten masks "safely locked away”.
Highest honour
In December, the star received a Kennedy Center Honor from President Donald Trump in recognition of his artistic achievements. He was joined at the ceremony by his wife and his daughters, Lucy and Emma, from his first marriage to the actress Gabrielle Lewis. "It was such a special thing to happen," he says.
© FilmMagicA doting father, Michael also extends his caring nature to others. Since 1987, he has been the president of The Sick Children’s Trust, a charity that provides nearby accommodation for parents with a seriously ill child in hospital.
There are ten Homes from Home located near major UK hospitals, and in May, the star joined supporters and staff for a ceremony at Bradford Royal Infirmary as the charity began construction on its new Home from Home.
"I meet a lot of families, and the parents are so appreciative," Michael says. "Being able to stay close to their child during treatment makes a world of difference."
The actor reveals that he has experienced frightening incidents within his own family. At the age of nine, he had his tonsils removed, and he recalls how his mother was two hours late to collect him. "I sat on the bed so distressed, thinking I'd been left. There was blood all over the sheet and my gown. I thought I'd lost my mother."
Later, one of his daughters fell ill with meningitis, aged six, while Michael was in a show in London. She was admitted to hospital in Portsmouth. "I travelled down every day; my wife stayed at her bedside,” he says.
Drawing on the wisdom of decades as a top-level performer, Michael ends the interview with some invaluable advice. "Always believe in yourself," he says. "We can all do more than we think we can."
To support the new Home from Home at Bradford Royal Infirmary, visit sickchildrenstrust.org
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